Portable filling device



M. 1.. BUTCHER PORTABLE FILLING DEVICE April 25, 1939.

Filed Feb. 10, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 he 72% C ATTORNEYS Y April 5, 939. .M. L. BUTCHER 2,155,783

1 ,PORTABLE FILLING DEVICE Filed Feb} 10, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 25, 193 9 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE FILLING DEVICE Maude L. Butcher, Seattle, Wash. Application February 10, 1937, Serial No. 125,145

4 Claims. (01. 221-145) many conditions under which it would be desirable to have'a' device that will fill a large number of containers, yet where the use will not 15 justify the expense entailed in acquiring a large automatic unit, of which there are many available. 'My'present invention is believed to fill this need. It is simple to operate and simple in construction so that there will be no malfunctioning of parts, and the cost can be reduced so low that 20 it can be readily acquired by those who cannot afford the more expensive automatic equipment.

I have further provided means whereby a battery of discharge pipes can be operated as a whole,

then, if it is desired to complete the filling of any 25 one that may, for some reason, have been missed during the battery operation, this individual container can be filled without putting an excess of material in those already filled to the desired level.

Other and more specific objects will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing one physical embodiment of my device in the position ready for use.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view partly in section showing the valving arrangement which controls the outlet spouts.

49 Figure 3 is a plan view in section taken through the discharge spout certain parts being broken away at different levels to better illustrate the construction.

Figure 4 is a typical, vertical, sectional view 45 through an opposite pair of discharge spouts,

showing a different placement of the valve mechanism on the two spouts.

Referring to the drawings. throughout which like reference characters indicate like parts, 6

59 designates, generally, the hopper or container from which various fluent materials may be dis .pensed. In the illustrations I have indicated a central partition .in the same, as 8. This has been found to be desirable although not essential. It

55 is essential, however, to have oppositely pitched,

inclined bottom portions as l and I2 fixed at an angle in excess of the natural angle of repose of the material to be dispensed and these must be so arranged as to cause the materials to flow into the discharge nozzles as l4 and I5. As a convenience in operation so that the height of the commodity dispensed may be easily determined, I have provided transparent side panels as I! and I8. These transparent panels in addition to their convenience to the operator form, 10 when'the device is used in stores, a very convenient means of displaying merchandise. Suitable hinged covers are provided for the storage bins as 20 and 2|. 7

As a convenience where containers 23 and 24 may be of difi'erent heights as for instance a set of salt shakers that might be different in height from a set of pepper shakers, I provide means for adjustingthe height of spouts i4 and I5 above the pan 26 which serves as a rest for the containers beng filled. This adjustment is provided by having a centrally disposed, tubular member 28, adapted to guide and support a slidably disposed tubular member 30 which, in turn, is secured to container 6. This tube is provided with a. plurality of adjusting holes 32 adapted to accommodate the securing pin 33 which rests on collar 34, this collar is, in turn, supported by tube 28.

The valving means for spouts i4 and 15 are. made as a battery, one for each of the containers. These may, if desirable, be connected so as to operate the entire two banks in a single operation, although it is normally more desirable to have the same, as illustrated, in which each side- 35 or bank of spouts is operated as a' unit. However, to provide control so that any one spout or group of spouts may be operated aside from the bank control, each spout opening, as 36, is provided with its own valve or covering plate 38. 40 This plate is provided with a discharge opening 39 and an operating handle 40. To operate a group of these units as a battery, I provide the bank shifter 42. This member is provided with an r exterior control handle as 44 and has throughout its length a plurality of openings 45 one for-each plate 38. The length of openings 45 must be equal to the overall length of plate 38 plus a length substantially greater than the diameter of the discharge opening 36. Shifter 42 and the plu-' rality of cover plates 38 are enclosed within housing 46 which holds them in operative relationship to each other.

As a convenient means for raising or lowering my container as for adjusting the same I proage of vessels or containers to be filled, and for the display of merchandise, I provide on each end of chamber I a plurality of shelves SI.

Method of operation In operating my device the bin, or bins. of the container is filled with the commodity to be dispensed. The containers as 23 and 24 are then placed under the various discharge spouts as N and iii. The operator then, by moving handle 44 slides the bank operating bar 42 to the right as viewed in Figure 2 so that the right hand edge of openings ll engage each of the cover plates 38 and move them to the left as shown in Figure 2 until opening 3! in plate 3| coincides with the discharge opening 38. The free flow of material is then permitted into the container. When the containers are filled to the desired height a shift of handle 44 in the reverse direction will close all of the discharge openings resulting in the position illustrated in Figure 2. If it should now be discovered that one of the containers is not filled to the depth desired. the. appropriate handle 40 'can be grasped and moved to the left as shown in Figure 2 until opening 39 of the particular plate 30 in question coincides with its discharge opening a. In so doing the main or bank shifter bar 42 will be moved to the left suiliclently to permit the matching up of these openings without moving any of the other cover plates ll.

It wfll follow it is believed that if only one container is to be filled this same procedurewould permit of filling it as an individual without operating the remainder of the discharge openings.

The foregoing description and the accompanying drawings are believed to clearly disclose a preferred embodiment of my invention but it will be understood that this disclosure is merely illustrative and that such changes in the invention may be made as are fairly within the scope and spirit of the following claims.

I claim: v

1. In a dispensing device the combination with a container having a series of discharge spouts, of

9.1mm I a bank shifter and operating means therefor. said shifter having a series of rectangular openings forming valves along one edge thereof adapted to coincide with said spouts, and independent valve means for each spout located within said openlugs and slidable longitudinally in a plane with.

and independently of, said bank shifter in said rectangular openings.

2. In a dispensing device the combination with a container having a series of discharge spouts.

of a bank shifter and operating means therefor. said shifter having a series of rectangular openings forming valves along one edge adapted to coincide with said spouts, an independent valve plate having an eccentrically disposed opening therethrough, said plate being located within one of said rectangular openings and slidable longitudinally in a. plane with, and independently of, said bank shifter in said rectangular opening.

3. In a dispensing device the combination with a containerhaving a series of discharge spouts, of -a bank shifter and operating means therefor, said bank shifter having a series of openings along one edge thereof adapted to coincide with said spouts, independently slidable valve means for each spout located within said openings and operable simultaneously under control of said shifter, and said openings being of greater width than said valve means whereby said valve means may be operated independently of said shifter and of each other. a

4. In a dispensing device the combination with a container having a series of, discharge spouts, of a bank shifter and operating means therefor. said bank shifter having a series of rectangular openings along one edge thereof adapted to coincide with said spouts. independently slidable valve means for each spout located within said rectangular openings and operable simultaneously under control of said shifter, and said rectangular openings being of greater width than said valve MAUDE L. 30mm. 

